


Familiar From the Stars

by Trace_Carter



Category: Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, ゼロの使い魔 | Zero no Tsukaima | The Familiar of Zero
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 07:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14303379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trace_Carter/pseuds/Trace_Carter
Summary: As a neutral Force User flees from the Jedi Purge, a girl, ridiculed by her classmates, performs a spell to bring her a powerful familiar.  Through this, their destinies are intertwined and a new chapter begins, in a Galaxy far, far, away...





	1. Chapter 1

At the Tristain Academy of Magic, the second year students had gathered for the familiar summoning ceremony. Various magical creatures had been summoned by the students, ranging from a small frog to a large blue dragon. One girl, though, was on edge by this. Her name was Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, but her classmates called her, Louise the Zero. The reason she was called that was because every spell she attempted ended the same way: an explosion. To top it off, she had proclaimed to the students that teased her that she would summon the best familiar of them all. Well, it was her turn now. Louise walked to the center of the field where the summoning would take place and raised her wand.

xXsceneXx

Within a cave that was dimly lit by the glow of a fire, a lone male figure sat, trying to warm himself. His name was Kazi Carter, but he usually went by Z. He looked about 17 years old in human years and was dressed in black light body armor and had pale skin and brown eyes along with jet black hair that was tied in a ponytail that hung down his back.

"Kriffing Empire," growled Z, "it's because of them that I'm forced to hide like this."

Suddenly he heard the sound of a young girl's voice, saying something, and felt a disturbance in the force that resembled a static tingle across his body.

_My noble and powerful familiar that exists somewhere in this vast universe,_

' _Well I don't think I qualify as 'noble,' but I don't deny that I'm powerful,_ ' thought the Z.

_Answer my call and come to my aid. APPEAR!_

As the final words were spoken, a glowing green oval appeared in the middle of the cave, surprising Z and causing him to stumble and fall into the oval. Once he was inside, the oval vanished, leaving the cave empty except for a small fire.

xXsceneXx

When Louise finished chanting, a large explosion erupted in the middle of the field. The force of the blast knocked Louise off her feet and kicked up a small dust cloud.

"Looks like Louise failed again," jeered a student.

"Wait," said another, "I see something."

As the smoke cleared, Z looked around, trying to figure out where he was. He took note of the creatures and the humans standing around him wearing odd clothing and assumed he had been somehow transported to a different planet, though he knew that kind of technology had been lost for ages.

"Where am I?" asked Z in Galactic Basic, "What planet is this?"

"What is he saying?" asked one student, "what does he mean, 'planet'?"

"Looks like the Zero summoned some commoner from off the street," jeered another, which caused the other students to laugh.

"Mr. Colbert," said Louise, "I'd like to make another attempt."

"Miss Vallière," said professor Jean Colbert sternly, "the Familiar Summoning Ceremony is a sacred rite that determines a mage's path and grants them a companion for life. There are no do overs. Please finish the ritual."

Louise slumped before walking over to Z, touching her wand to his head, " _My name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this humble being and make him my familiar._ "

Louise then leaned in and captured a surprised Z's lips with a kiss, surprising him greatly. When she pulled away he tried to say something, but was cut off by a burning sensation in his hand that continued to grow in strength until it felt like someone was carving symbols into his hand with a lightsaber. He gritted his teeth, not wanting to show any weakness to these people. Soon the pain faded and Z glared at Louise.

"What did you just do to me?" he growled.

"I marked you as my familiar," said Louise simply.

"What are you talking about," said Z as Colbert dismissed the other students, "explain."

"I'll explain later," said Louise as she turned to leave.

The other students then collected their familiars and began to float towards the school, surprising Z greatly.

"How are they doing that?" asked Z, "Is it the force? I don't feel it being used by these children."

"It's magic," said Louise, "and what is this 'force?'"

"I'll explain later," said Z with a smirk, earning a scowl from Louise, "and why aren't you flying back?"

"That's none of your business," snapped Louise, "come on, we're going to be left behind."

With a sigh, Z got to his feet and followed the diminutive pinkette back to the castle.

xXsceneXx

"Alright," said Louise, "I want some answers. Who are you, and what is this 'force' that you mentioned?"

"Jeez, you could at least be polite about it," sighed Z, "my name is Z."

"What about my other question?" growled Louise.

"If you're going to use that tone, then I won't say anything," said Z with a shrug, "I'm going to wander. Bye."

With that, Z walked out the door, leaving a stunned and angry Louise behind.

xXsceneXx

As Z walked through the courtyard, he noted that the school looked kind of primitive. There wasn't even any durasteel used in the construction. There was also a lot of vegetation and the air was untainted by the exhaust of engines.

"I wonder what planet I've ended up on?" Z said to himself.

Suddenly he jumped when he felt a large presence behind him and spun around, coming face to face with a large blue reptile. Z was about to pull out a weapon when a petite girl with blue hair and glasses, carrying a gnarled staff and a book hopped off the creature's back.

"Is this creature yours?" Z asked the girl.

"Dragon," said the girl.

"Excuse me?" said Z.

"She's a dragon," the girl said in a monotone.

"I see," said Z, "I wonder if she's related to the Arkanian Dragon species?"

"Don't know," said the girl.

"My name is Z," said Z.

"Tabitha," said the girl, "Sylphid," she added, motioning to her dragon."

"Those aren't your real names," noted Z, causing the girl to stiffen, "don't worry, I mean you no harm and will keep your secret."

"Thank you," said Tabitha.

Z almost didn't notice, but Tabitha gave a small smile.

"You should smile more often," said Z, "it looks nice."

Z turned to leave, and because of that, he didn't see the faint blush on Tabitha's cheeks. Z decided to continue exploring the campus and wandered the halls. He was so caught up in his wandering that he almost ran into a girl wearing a maid's uniform.

"I'm so sorry," said the girl as she tried to pick up the basket of cloths that she had dropped.

"It was my fault," said Z as he picked up the basket for her, "where are you taking this?"

"I was taking it to the kitchens to be used for tomorrow's meal," said the girl.

"Then I'll take it there," said Z, "it's the least I can do to apologize for running into you."

"Thank you," said the maid, "you are too kind."

"May I ask your name miss?" asked Z.

"Oh, my name is Siesta," said the maid with a kind smile.

"You can call me Z," said Z.

"That's an interesting name," said Siesta.

"Where I come from," said Z, "Siesta would be considered an unusual name."

"Where exactly do you come from?" asked Siesta.

"Hmm," said Z as he tried to think of how to explain where he was from to a species that obviously hasn't achieved space flight, "I'm from a place far away. Farther than any of your ships could sail."

"My grandfather often told stories about another land that he claimed to come from," said Siesta, "he also said that he was from a place to far to travel to."

"He sounds like a man I'd like to meet," said Z.

"He'd probably like to have met you too," said Siesta, "unfortunately he's passed on."

"My condolences," said Z, "I believe we've reached the kitchen."

Indeed they had reached the kitchen. The workers were busy cleaning plates from the last meal so Siesta had Z put the basket of cloths on an empty table. As he was turning to leave, his stomach made a sound similar to an angry beast and he blushed a bit.

"Sounds like you're hungry, kid," said the head chef, "how about we fix you a meal?"

"I don't want to be any trouble, sir chef," said Z.

"No trouble at all," said the chef, "and please call me Marteau."

"Well then," said Z, "I thank you for your hospitality, sir Marteau."

"Please just call me Marteau," said Marteau as the kitchen staff brought Z a bowl of stew, "this was made from the leftovers of the noble's meals, so I apologize if it isn't that good."

Z sat down and used a spoon to try a bit of the stew and his eyes widened at the taste. The stew was full of savory flavor. It wasn't too watery, the vegetables weren't cut too big or overcooked, and the meat melted in his mouth.

"This is amazing," said Z, "I don't think I've ever tasted food this good."

"Glad you think so," said Marteau, "eat up."

Z eagerly devoured the stew and accepted seconds when it was offered. When he finished he decided to help the staff clean up before heading up to Louise's room to see if she had calmed down.

xXsceneXx

Louise had not calmed down. To be quite honest, she was livid! Not only did her familiar speak to her in an insolent tone and not show her the respect she deserved, but he had the gall to walk out when she was questioning him. Louise looked at out her window at the rising moons and sighed. Suddenly her door opened causing her to sit upright as Z walked in.

"Have you calmed down?" he asked.

"I guess," said Louise. She was still angry, but she was controlling it better, "now tell me about this 'Force'."

**To be continued...**

 


	2. Chapter 2

"Well," said Z, "to begin to explain the force, one must understand Midi-chlorians."

"What are meta…metal…medi," Louise asked, trying to pronounce the unknown term.

"Midi-chlorians are tiny life forms that exist within almost every living being," said Z, "the Midi-chlorians are what allow individuals to harness the power of the force, if they have enough."

"You still haven't explained what the force is," said Louise.

"I'm getting to that," said Z, "to put it simply, the force is a powerful energy that flows around and through all things. It binds our destinies and unites us all. If one can manipulate the force, then they will be able to do great things that others cannot."

"What kind of things?" asked Louise.

Z smiled and waved his hand. A teapot and cup rose from a table along with a saucer and floated over to Louise. The teapot tipped and poured some of its steaming tea into the cup.

"Cream and sugar?" asked Z.

"Um, sure," said a startled Louise, "three lumps, no cream."

Three cubes of sugar floated out of the sugar bowl and into the waiting cup. The cup then floated into Louise's waiting hands.

"How did you do that without a wand?" asked Louise.

"I told you," said Z, "it's not magic. I am simply manipulating the Living Force that flows around and through all things."

"Preposterous," said Louise, "it has to be magic."

"It isn't," insisted Z, "anyone with a high enough Midi-chlorian count could do all of this and more with training."

"So you are saying that even a zero like me could learn o do all this if my count was high enough?" asked Louise disbelievingly.

"That is what I'm saying," said Z.

Louise paused, "…is there a way to test my count?" she asked with hope.

"There is," said Z as he pulled a case from his bag and opened it, "I'll need to take a blood sample and scan it."

"How will you do that?" asked Louise as Z pulled out several items.

"Hold still," said Z, "this will hurt a bit."

He then made a cut on her arm, being careful not to make it deep and damage any veins or arteries and took a sample of blood. He then pulled out a patch and placed it on the wound.

"What was that for?" demanded Louise angrily.

"I needed a sample of your blood," said Z as he put the blood in a scanner, "besides, it's already healed."

"What are you talking about?" asked Louise, "It couldn't have healed that fast."

Z walked over and removed the patch to reveal clean unblemished skin with no sign of the cut that had been made.

"How did you do that?" asked Louise, "You didn't use magic."

"It was a bacta patch," said Z.

"What?"

"Medicine," he elaborated, "it accelerated the natural healing of the human body."

"…ok," said Louise, "so when will I be able to know if I can use the Force?"

"In the morning," said Z, "it's late and you should sleep. I'll wake you tomorrow."

Z sat on a pile of hay in the corner and closed his eyes to meditate. As Louise watched him, she thought about how she originally intended to treat Z like a servant and lesser being, but then she thought about how he had given her hope that she might not be a zero after all, and she decided to at least treat him like a human.

xXsceneXx

The next morning, Louise awoke to the soft light from the curtains shining on her.

"It's time to wake up," said Z.

"What?" asked Louise sleepily.

"It's time for you to wake up," said Z again, "I'm sure you have a busy day."

Louise got up with a yawn and stretched. She looked around blearily and slowly focused on the room around her.

"Clothes," she said groggily.

Z shrugged and some clean clothes floated over to her, which she put on, uncaring of Z's presence.

"What time is it?" asked Louise.

"A few hours after dawn," said Z, "I believe the other students headed down for breakfast."

"Then let's go," said Louise as she walked out the door.

Z smiled and followed the short pinkette out the door and through the halls. Inwardly he wondered what kind of meal would be served for a 'noble's' breakfast.

xXsceneXx

' _I should have known,_ ' thought Z as he looked down at the 'food' that was given to him as a familiar. Whatever a familiar was.

"We thank our Founder Brimir for this humble meal," said Louise and the other students in the hall.

' _Humble my foot,_ ' thought Z as he looked over the feast that was spread before the students.

Z had been given a dirty plate with an old roll and a bowl of…something that looked like soup. With a sigh he withdrew a ration bar and began to eat it. The taste left much to be desired, but it was probably healthier that the meal he was given. He finished quickly and decided to go to the courtyard to explore some more.

xXsceneXx

Z looked around the courtyard where the staff was setting up some tables and chairs. He saw Siesta and decided to ask her what the occasion was.

"So what's going on?" asked Z.

"Oh Z," said Siesta, "the students have no class today so they can bond with their familiars, so we have to set up these tables and chairs for them to use."

"Do you need some help?" asked Z.

"That would be great," said Siesta.

"Alright then," said Z as he motioned with his hands.

The staff jumped back when the tables lifted into the air and floated to their positions and floated to the ground with the chairs following. Tablecloths and vases of flowers floated onto the tables as well.

"You're a noble?" gasped Siesta.

"No," said Z, "I am not of noble blood."

"But you used magic!" exclaimed another servant.

"It wasn't magic," said Z, "it's hard to explain, but it is not magic."

It took some time, but Z was able to convince the staff that he was not one of the stuck up nobles that they had grown to hate. By the time he was finished, the students had begun to exit the castle to get to know their familiars. Siesta managed to talk Z into helping her deliver the snacks to the students, and with the Force, things went smoothly…that is, until Z saw a small bottle fall out of a blond student's pocket.

Z caught it with the Force and placed it on the table, "I believe this is yours sir."

The student ignored Z, but one of his friends noticed.

"Hey Guiche, isn't that one of Montmorency's special perfumes?"

"Hey yeah," said another, "that distinctive purple color is her signature."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," stammered the blond, now identified as Guiche, but his brown haired female companion wasn't reassured.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, "You and Miss Montmorency are together!"

"Wait, Kaite," Guiche said, trying to diffuse the situation, "it's not like that,"

*SLAP*

Katie stormed off after slapping Guiche across the face, leaving a red mark. Unfortunately for the blond, it wasn't over.

"Guiche," said an angry voice from behind him.

Guiche turned and saw a girl with blond hair in tight curls standing behind him with a livid expression on her face.

"M-M-Montmorency," stammered Guiche as he sweated.

"So," Montmorency said in a calm voice that spoke of barely restrained anger, "I see that the rumors about you seeing a first year girl were true."

"Dearest Montmorency," Guiche began, trying to fix the situation before it went too far.

*WHAM*

Too late.

Montmorency had decked Guiche with a spectacular right cross, knocking him to the ground and leaving him with a black eye, before storming off.

Z had watched all of this and had no idea that simply returning a bottle would cause such chaos. With a shrug he turned to leave. He'd seen worse breakups on Hologram Fun World. But as he turned to leave he was stopped by shout from Guiche.

"You! Commoner!" yelled Guiche, "It is your fault that this happened! If you hadn't picked up that bottle then none of this would have happened!"

"Perhaps you shouldn't have been dating two girls at the same time," said Z, "I believe that humans view it as wrong."

"Are you comparing me so some beast?!" growled Guiche with indignation.

"I'm just pointing out that among the sentient species that exist in the known universe, humans are among those who view polygamy as immoral," said Z.

"In any case," said Guiche, "I shall teach you some respect for your betters! I challenge you to a duel!"

The courtyard froze and suddenly hysterical laughter was heard. People searched for the cause and saw that Z was busting a gut at Guiche's declaration.

"Hahahaha," laughed Z, "that's a good joke. You challenging me to a duel."

"What's the matter commoner?" growled Guiche, "Are you scared to take responsibility and fight? Of course you are. You're just some weakling who has no hope of victory."

"Oh, you're serious," said Z as he composed himself and set down the tray of treats he was holding, "in that case, name the time and place of this duel."

"Vestri Court in 15 minutes," declared Guiche before marching off.

"I guess I should get ready," said Z, before spotting Louise marching toward him.

**To be continued…**

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Z sighed as Louise stormed up to him. She looked like she was angry that he had accepted a duel from Guiche.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" yelled Louise.

Yep, she's mad.

"Louise," said Z, "he challenged my honor, so I must face him."

"Why?" asked Louise, "You could just apologize!"

"Why should I apologize when I have done nothing wrong?" said Z, "All I did was return an item. It was his fault for playing with their hearts."

"But," protested Louise.

"Look," said Z, "I intend to fight Guiche. So you can either get out of my way, or tell me which way is Vestri Court."

"Fine," sighed Louise reluctantly, "are you sure you can win?"

"Of course," said Z.

Louise sighed again and wordlessly raised an arm to point the direction of Vestri Court. Thanking Louise, Z headed to meet Guiche. After he had gone, Louise decided to follow him, if not to pick up the pieces, then to see Guiche get what he deserved.

xXsceneXx

Z arrived early at Vetsri Court and sat down in a meditative pose to calm his mind while he waited for the pompus brat to arrive. As he meditated, he connected himself to the unifying force and the living force and felt it flow through all the humans and familiars around him. The humans had a sort of forign power flowing through them and the a few of the familiars did as well. Soon he felt the aura of Guiche and the other students arriving and he got to his feet.

"So you're finally here," said Z.

"I'm surprised you had the guts to show up," said Guiche, "I'm glad you did though, now I can teach you your place, commoner."

"You talk too much," yawned Z, "let's just get this over with."

"Agreed," said Guiche as he waved his rose with a florish, "my runic name is Guiche the Bronze, so a bronze Valkyrie shall be your opponant."

A petal fell from Guiche's rose and formed into a feminine, broze suit of armor.

"So you call upon a construct to fight me," sighed Z, "whatever. I guess I should end this quickly."

Suddenly Z's form began to shift. His muscles expanded and he fell on all fours as his arms and legs became animal like and his hands and shoes became claws. His back grew several spines and a tail sprouted. His entire body grew fur and his face grew and his mouth expanded and was filled with razor sharp teeth and he gained two more eyes. Z now resembled some sort of beastial demonic feline.

"Wh-what are you?" stammered Guiche in terror.

The beast that was Z roared and charged at the Valkyrie. Guiche was barely able to pull himself together in time to command his Valkyrie to dodge Z's claws. The Valkyrie was fast, but Z's new form was faster and forced the bronze golem to use it's speed to keep from being shredded by his claws. Guiche decided to even the odds a bit and created five more golems to fight Z.

Guiche felt confident that he would win...until he swore that the beast smirked and began to change again. Z stood up on his hind legs and his body became bulkier and the fur retracted. He gained grayish thick skin and spines, tusks and claws. He no longer resembled a feline.  He now resembled some sort of reptilian monster out of a nightmare.

Z's new form blocked the stabs of the Valkyries' spears with its thick hide and sent them flying with a swing of its arms. With speed that surprised the observers, considering the beast's bulky appearence, Z attacked the downed Valkyries and crushed their bronze armor, before turning to face Guiche.

"S-s-stay b-back!" stammered Guiche with a pale face as he counjured a sword and swung it wildly to try and stop Z's advance.

The blade didn't even phase Z. In fact with a flick of a claw the blade was flying from his hands in two pieces. Guiche was visibly sweating as Z got close and picked him up and brought Guiche to his maw. Z let out a loud roar and Guiche promptly passed out and went limp.

Z dropped the blond and his form shifted back to normal, clothes and all and he walked over to Louise.

"Told you I'd win," smirked Z.

Louise could only nod blankly and follow Z as he walked back to the castle, the students parting in fear as he approached.

xXsceneXx

Once the master and familiar were back at Louise's room, Z checked his scanner for the results of the blood test he ran on Louise. He noticed that Louise was staring at him intently from her bed and had been ever since the end of the fight.

"Want to talk about it?" asked Z.

"...what are you?" asked Louise, "I mean you can't be human."

"Correct," said Z, "I am not human. I am a Shi'ido."

"What is a Shido?" asked Louise.

"Shi'ido," corrected Z, "and to answer your question, I am a species of shapeshifter from the planet Lao-mon, or Sh'shuun in my native tounge."

"Wait," said Louise, "what do you mean? Are you really from another planet?"

"Yes," said Z, "you honestly didn't think that humans were the only sentient species in the universe."

Honestly, Louise had thought that, but she didn't want to admit it, so she changed the subject.

"You said that you're a shapeshifter. Is that how you were able to transform into those beasts to fight Guiche?" she asked.

Z nodded, "The first one was a species from the planet Cholganna called a Nexu. The second is a creature created by the dark side of the Force known as a Terentatek. I'm not sure if it has a home planet."

"Can you change into other things?" asked Louise. The fact that she summoned a man that can turn into beasts that looked like they could give a manticore a run for its money was making her day.

"I can change into many things," said Z, "I've seen many beasts. I could even transform into a rock if I wanted to."

"Amazing," said Louise.

"Well, the results of your blood test are in," said Z, "it looks like you have more than enough Medi-chlorians in your body to harness the Force. If you wish, I would be happy to take you as a student and teach you about them."

"Really?" exclaimed Louise, "I'd love that."

"We should start then," said Z.


	4. Chapter 4

"Why are we going into town again?" asked Louise as she rode a horse with Z.

"You need a training outfit," Z answered.

"I have plenty of uniforms," said Louise.

"So you feel comfortable doing physical exercises like handstands and pushups, wearing a white blouse and skirt?" asked Z.

Louise blushed at that, "What kind of clothes do you have in mind then?"

"Since I am unsure about the kinds of clothes that this planet has, we will have to look around," said Z.

"You keep talking about other planets," said Louise, "can you tell me about some of them?"

"Let's see," said Z, "there's Coruscant, in the Galactic Core. The entire planet is covered in one giant city."

"An entire world covered by a city?" said Louise in disbelief, "High ranked Nobles must live there."

"Actually," said Z, "all sorts live there, though it was once the home of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Senate."

"Who are the Galactic Senate and the Jedi order?" asked Louise.

"The Galactic Senate was a gathering of the representatives of all the planets that were a part of what is now known as the Old Republic," explained Z, "its purpose was to allow the representatives the opportunity to influence the creation of laws by way of a vote and a voice. The Jedi Order was the order of the Jedi Knights, located in the Jedi Temple. They were seen as the peacekeepers of the galaxy and were trained to use the force from infancy."

"Are you a member of the order?" asked Louise.

Z shook his head, "I never received any formal training. And I couldn't join if I wanted to."

"Why is that?" asked Louise with confusion.

"The Order died years ago," said Z, "there was a great war and in the aftermath, the Galactic Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire and the Emperor ordered the extermination of the Jedi. The great Temple is in ruins now and all who use the Force have been forced into hiding."

"Is that what happened to you?"

"Yes," said Z, "I was hiding in a cave on a barren planet when you summoned me. I haven't been on the run like that for decades."

"Decades?" asked Louise, "How can that be? You look about 17."

"Actually," said Z, "I'm over 200 years old."

"How is that possible?" asked Louise.

"Don't forget, I'm a shapeshifter," said Z, "I can look as old or as young as I want. Also, my species can live up to 500 years of age."

"Amazing," said Louise.

"That's nothing," said Z, "there are species that can live up to 900 years."

"Is all that really out there beyond the stars?" asked Louise.

"All that and more," said Z, "and look, we've arrived."

xXsceneXx

Once Louise had tied up their horse, she took Z to some of the clothing shops to look for her 'training outfit' as he called it.

"How about this?" asked Louise as she showed him a black buttoned vest with a white undershirt.

Z shook his head, "Black would only overheat you. Ah! Found one."

Z held up a light grey shirt and sports pants that would allow for more movement.

"This is perfect," said Z.

"What exactly do you expect me to be doing?" asked Louise.

"Training," said Z with a smirk, "we'll need this too," he added, grabbing a set of ribbons.

Z and Louise then rode back to the Academy. Once there Z walked over to Louise and tied a lock of her long hair in a braid that hung behind her ear.

"With this you are now my apprentice," said Z, "this braid is the symbol of that."

"What do we do first?" asked Louise.

"First," said Z, "you will need to change."

Z handed her the training clothes and waited as she went to her room to get dressed. As he waited, he pulled a short metal cylinder from within his body and inspected it. It seemed to be functioning properly and he set it aside and waited. Soon Louise came out wearing the training clothes Z had picked for her.

"Are you sure this is appropriate?" asked Louise.

"Perfectly," said Z.

"What do I do first?" asked Louise.

Z responded by tossing her the metal cylinder.

"What's this?" asked Louise.

"That is a training Lightsaber," said Z.

"What's a training lightsaber?" asked Louise.

"A lightsaber," explained Z, "is the weapon used by the Jedi and their enemy, the Sith Lords. It is a powerful weapon that can cut through almost anything and when wielded by a master, is without peer. This training version will allow you to get a feel for one without endangering yourself. When your training is done, you will build your own."

"How will I do that?" asked Louise.

"I have all the parts," said Z, "and you will learn all that you need. The first lesson is meditation."

"Meditation?" said Louise, "You can't be serious."

"I am," said Z, "to commune with the Living and Unifying Force, you must learn to meditate and feel the Force flow around and through you and all things. Once you can do that, you can learn to manipulate it and bend it to your will. This was the first thing I learned as well from my teacher."

Louise huffed, "I don't see how meditating would help me get stronger."

"Well if you want to start with the physical training, then that's fine too," said Z, "first you'll need to do some laps around the castle then."

"…I'll do the meditation," said Louise nervously.

"I thought you might," said Z, "I want you to sit comfortably and close your eyes and focus on the energy in the world around you."

Louise nodded and sat on the ground. She closed her eyes and tried to feel the energy around her. She was surprised to find that she could feel the energy flowing in and around the world around her. With a small surge of willpower, she began to nudge and tug at the flowing energy.

"STOP!" cried out Z.

"What?" said Louise, breaking her focus with a jolt.

*thud*

Louise was surprised to see that numerous large rocks had been floating and had fallen to the ground when she broke your focus.

"H-how did you do that?" asked Z shakily.

"It was like feeling the magical energy in the environment," said Louise.

Z was speechless.

"…looks like I've found a diamond in the rough," he finally said, "I will make you a force user that can surpass even the jedi."

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Z had been training Louise for a few weeks now and she was showing much improvement in the Jedi arts. When she wasn't studying for her classes, she was either meditating, learning techniques in Force manipulation or lightsaber combat. Currently, Z was having her duel him in lightsaber combat blindfolded, letting the Force guide her movements.

Z deflected a strike from Louise's training lightsaber and forced her to dodge his retaliatory strike, "You are improving."

"I have yet to land a single hit on you," said Louise as she righted herself.

"I've been doing this a lot longer than you, youngling," said Z.

Louise sighed. Z had taken to calling her by that nickname, saying it was a level of experience and growth for Jedi as they were recruited from infancy to learn the ways of the Force.

Louise took off her blindfold and saw that several of her classmates had gathered to watch her training session.

"My my Louise," said Kirche as she found her voice again, "you never mentioned that you knew swordplay."

"What of it, Zerbst?" asked Louise in a tired.

"It's just, I never took you as the type to wield a sword," said Kirche.

"Unexpected," said Tabitha.

"Technically they're not swords," said Z.

"Where did you get such wonderful magic swords?" asked Guiche, ignoring Z.

"They're not magic," said Louise, "and Z had them."

"Your familiar?" asked Guiche in surprise.

"Yes," said Louise, "he's been teaching me some stuff."

"What could a commoner have to teach you?" asked Guiche.

"You recall that I beat you quite easily," said Z.

"That is because you are some sort of demon," said Guiche, "changing your form was proof of that."

"I am no demon," said Z, "but I admit that I am not human."

"Then what are you?" asked Kirche.

"Isn't that a personal question?" asked Z.

"Are you hiding something?" asked Guiche.

Z chose to ignore the blond fop and turned back to Louise.

"Let's get back to your training," he said.

"Alright," said Louise, "what am I doing now?"

"I'd like you to meditate again," said Z, "but try to maintain control this time."

"Alright," said Louise.

Louise's classmates watched as the petite pinkette sat down on the grassy field and began to meditate.

"What is she doing?" asked Kirche.

"She's meditating to fell the flowing Force that flows around and through all things," said Z.

"What are you talking about?" asked Guiche.

Z shrugged, "There is a living and unifying Force that flows around and through all things. Those that are capable of harnessing it can use it to perform great feats."

"What kinds of feats?" asked Kirche.

With a smirk, Z motioned toward Louise and her classmates gasped as they saw her floating a foot off the ground in the lotus position with various pebbles floating in the air around her.

"No way," said Kirche, "Zero's actually doing magic."

"It's not exactly magic," said Z, "she is manipulating the living and unifying force that is flowing around and through her, granting her the ability to use a form of telekinesis to manipulate the environment around her."

"Impressive," said Tabitha.

"Can anyone use this ability?" asked Kirche.

"Unfortunately no," said Z, "there are certain requirements that need to be met that cannot be confirmed without a blood test."

"Blood test?" asked Tabitha.

"I would need to take a sample of blood and put it through an examination to determine if the required factors are present in the blood of the person in question," said Z.

"So Louise has the certain factors?" asked Kirche.

"Indeed," said Z, "and because of that I am teaching her what I know. You can stop now," he added to Louise.

Louise let the rocks fall to the ground and extended her legs so she moved into a standing position.

"You are progressing nicely," said Z, "soon I might teach you some of the more advanced techniques, but for now, you should get changed and head to class."

Louise nodded and hurried to her room to change into her uniform.

"I was wondering," said Kirche, "why do you have her wearing such unusual clothes?"

"The clothes I have her wear is more practical for her training," said Z, "you wouldn't run laps or do physical exercise in a blouse and skirt?"

"Why would she be doing physical exercise?" asked Kirche.

"To master the skills that I am teaching her, she must be in her best physical and mental shape," said Z.

"Why is that?" asked Tabitha.

"To truly use the Force to its fullest potential, one cannot just wave their hands and move stones," said Z, "one must learn the way to fight using the force to guide your movements, ergo a better physical condition is best."

"Understandable," said Tabitha.

"Alright," said Louise as she ran up, "I'm ready."

"I'll see you afterwards," said Z before walking off.

xXsceneXx

Z wandered the schoolyard while his student/master was attending her classes. He observed the numerous creatures that were resting in the sun, noting that he had seen nothing remotely similar in all his travels.

"I've never seen such diverse creatures in the same place," mused Z as he pulled out a ration bar and looked around, "I wonder if I could change into some of them?"

Suddenly he felt a presence and turned to see the blue dragon that he recognized as Tabitha's familiar looking at him with its head cocked curiously.

"Why hello there," said Z, "you seem like a friendly one."

The dragon cocked its head at Z and continued to stare at him like a cute dog begging for a treat.

"Are you hungry?" asked Z getting a nod from the dragon, "Then here you go."

Z held out the ration bar and the dragon eagerly snapped it up.

"I'm glad you liked it," said Z.

The dragon responded by nudging Z affectionately as if it were a pet cuddling its master.

"You sure are an affectionate one," said Z as the dragon continued to nuzzle him, "you also seem to be quite intelligent. I wonder…"

Z placed his hand on the dragon's head and sent a subtle push of a Force Probe into its mind, getting the dragon to jerk in surprise.

"Oh," said Z, "sorry girl, I didn't know you were like that."

At the pouting look he got from the dragon, he chuckled, "Ok, I promise never to do that again and that I will keep your secret…Illococoo."

At that the dragon practically pounced on him, causing the force user to nearly fall over as she gave him a pleading look.

"I promise," said Z as he stroked the dragon's head, "I have secrets of my own so one more wouldn't hurt me."

The dragon began to purr from Z's stroking of her head ridges and nuzzled into his hand affectionately.

"You really are the cute thing," said Z, "tell you what, next time I get some leftovers from the kitchen staff, I'll save some for you."

The dragon trilled affectionately and cuddled Z again, knocking him onto his back.

"Alright," chuckled Z as he petted the dragon, "easy there."

xXsceneXx

Z met up with Louise after her classes had ended and they went back to the courtyard where he had her continue to work on her lightsaber forms.

"Keep your guard up and let the force guide your movements," said Z as he parried Louise's attacks while she was blindfolded.

Louise focused and struck out again, allowing the force to guide her blade. Z sidestepped her strike, but it twisted and gave him a burn across his arm.

"Very good," said Z, "I believe you will be ready for the next level."

"What do you mean?" asked Louise as she took off her blindfold.

"I think it's time for you to fight with a lightsaber of your own," said Z.

"Are you going to give me a real one?" asked Louise eagerly.

"No," said Z, causing her to deflate a bit, "you're gong to build your own."

"What do you mean?" asked Louise.

"A lightsaber is an extension of its owner's body," said Z, "I have taught you what you need to know to build one and will provide the parts that are needed. All I need from you is a focusing crystal."

"A focusing crystal?" asked Louise.

"A gemstone that will focus the energy into a blade," said Z, "you will provide that and then you will build your saber."

"When do I begin?" asked Louise.

"I'll have everything ready by tomorrow," said Z, "you don't have classes, right?"

"No," said Louise.

"Good," said Z, "tomorrow it is."

xXsceneXx

That night, Z didn't come back to the room. Louise sat awake in her bed, wondering what she could use as a focusing crystal. She recalled that Z said that the lightsaber would be an extension of herself, so she wanted to use a crystal that would mean something to her.

Suddenly she had an idea and headed to her dresser. She rummaged through it for a while before pulling out a broach with a pink ruby that matched her hair set into it. She had been given it by her sister Cattleya on her birthday and she treasured it. She thought of no better gem to use to create her lightsaber.

xXsceneXx

The next morning, Louise awoke bright and early, eager to meet up with Z and start building her lightsaber. She dressed for the day and grabbed the broach she was going to use and placed it in a pocket of her uniform before grabbing her training lightsaber and her wand and heading down for breakfast. On the way she was stopped by Kirche and Tabitha. Kirche then began to question Louise about her training.

"So Louise," said Kirche, "why are you getting all of this training from your familiar of all people?"

"He said that he saw vast untapped potential in me," said Louise.

"Untapped potential?" asked Kirche.

"Yeah," said Louise, "I was going to meet with him now."

"Oh?" said Kirche, "What for?"

"That's not any of your business," said Louise.

"And why is that?" asked Kirche.

"For one, you aren't his student," said Louise.

"And you are?" asked Kirche.

"That's right," said Louise.

"I bet I could learn this stuff," said Kirche, "anything you can do, I could do better, Zero."

"I don't have time for this," said Louise as she walked off.

"I'm coming with you," said Kirche.

"Likewise," said Tabitha, thinking of her first meeting with the shapeshifter.

"Ugh, fine," said Louise before continuing on her way.

xXsceneXx

"Good," said Z, "you're here. And I see you brought friends."

"Yeah," said Louise, "they wouldn't leave me alone."

"I would like to become your student as well," said Kirche.

"I'm sorry," said Z, "I only take one student."

"Why is that?" asked Kirche.

"That's how things work," said Z, "there is always one student per master."

"Is that your personal rule?" asked Kirche.

"No," said Z, "it's a rule that has existed for centuries for both the light and dark side of the Force. There is always one master and one apprentice."

"That's a strange rule," said Kirche.

"The rule has helped keep order in both factions for centuries," said Z before turning his attention to Louise and emptying a sack filled with metal parts and wires in front of her, "this is everything you will need to create your lightsaber. Do you have the crystal?"

Louise held out the broach and Z used the force to remove the gem from the metal setting.

"Alright," said Z, "I assume you remember what I taught you about lightsabers?"

"I remember," said Louise.

"Then you may begin," said Z.

"What is she doing?" asked Kirche.

"Accomplished Force users usually wield one of these as weapons," said Z as he drew a lightsaber and ignited it, "this is a lightsaber. A beam of focused energy, condensed into a blade that cuts through almost anything."

"That sounds pretty impressive," said Kirche.

"It is," said Z as he glanced at Louise as she worked with the parts, "building one is part of the training of the Jedi and the Sith."

"Jedi? Sith?" asked Tabitha.

"The Jedi and the Sith are two orders that use the power of the Force," said Z, "they Jedi are the supposed defenders of the galaxy and users of the light side of the Force, while the Sith are beings that have been corrupted by darkness and wield the dark side of the Force."

"So which are you?" asked Kirche.

"Neither," said Z, "I follow a more grey path and as such, have a wide variety of abilities at my disposal."

"What kind of abilities?" asked Tabitha.

"Now that's a secret," said Z.

"So you won't take me as an apprentice?" asked Kirche seductively.

"Child," said Z, "you are centuries too young to be trying to seduce me into do anything?"

"Centuries?" said Kirche, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying that I'm older than I appear," said Z.

"How much older?" asked Kirche.

"A couple hundred years," said Z.

"You can't be serious," said Kirche.

"I'm very serious," said Z.

"How old?" asked Tabitha.

"I'm a little over 200 years of age," said Z.

"How is that possible?" asked Kirche.

"Not human," said Tabitha.

"That is correct," said Z, "I'm not human."

"If you're not human, then what are you?" asked Kirche.

"I'm a shapeshifter from a planet far from this one," said Z.

"No seriously," said Kirche.

"I am being serious," said Z, "I'm a Shi'ido."

"So you're some kind of shapeshifter?" asked Kirche.

"That's right," said Z.

"Then what's your true form?" she asked.

"That's private," said Z.

"But…" began Kirche, but Tabitha stopped her.

"Don't pry," was all the blue haired mage said.

"Thank you," said Z getting a nod from Tabitha.

"You two seem quite friendly," said Kirche, causing Tabitha's cheeks to gain a very slight pink tinge.

"We talked a bit when I first arrived," said Z.

"I'm done," said Louise.

Z turned toward his student and raised his eyebrows at her unique lightsaber design. In addition to the normal handle, she had placed a guard similar to one on a rapier.

"This is truly a unique blade," said Z, "ignite it."

Louise ignited her lightsaber, causing a pink blade of energy to extend.

"Impressive," said Z, "a fine weapon."

"You made this, Louise?" asked Kirche.

"That's right," said Louise.

Z deactivated the saber and tossed it back to Louise, "Now set it to low power and we'll see how well you can use it."

A lightsaber slid into Z's hand and he ignited it to reveal a bright purple blade. Louise ignited her pink blade and held it ready with one hand. Z then rushed forward and sent a series of thrusts and slashes at her that she deflected with her blade.

"Very good," said Z as he continued to attack, "your new blade suits you quite well."

"Thanks," said Louise as she continued to defend against his attacks.

Kirche and Tabitha could only watch what could almost be called a dance of blades as the master and student sparred.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Kirche asked Tabitha once she picked her jaw up from the ground.

"Skilled," said Tabitha.

"I'll say," said Kirche, "who knew that Louise could fight like that?"

"She has a good teacher," said Tabitha.

"I'm going to have to learn more about him," said Kirche hungrily, getting a sweatdrop from Tabitha.

Unknown to any of them, the bluenette was also admiring the form of the familiar and wondering if possibly he could help her save her mother one day.


	6. Chapter 6

_Emotion, yet peace._

_Ignorance, yet knowledge._

_Passion, yet serenity._

_Chaos, yet harmony._

_Death, yet the Force._

Louise frowned as she looked over the text in the datapad that Z had given her to study. It was very contradictory and confusing, but he told her that it was important for her understanding the teachings he would give her. She sighed and put down the datapad, her thoughts drifting to the upcoming Familiar Exhibition.

"Is something wrong?" asked Z from where he was meditating in the corner.

"I was just thinking," said Louise.

"Care to share?" asked Z.

"Well," said Louise, "there's an event coming up: The Familiar Exhibition, and I was hoping that you could perform in it."

"What exactly do you want me to do?" asked Z.

"Well," said Louise, "you could do some cool tricks with the Force…"

"No," said Z.

"What?" exclaimed Louise, "Why not?"

"The Force is not some toy to demonstrate and boast about," said Z sternly, "it is not to be used in any form of exhibition."

"Oh," said Louise dejectedly.

"However," said Z with a small smile, "I think using my other talents could put on quite a show."

"Really?" said Louise hopefully.

"Do not worry," said Z, "I'll put on a show that will take their breath away. Now back to training young Padawan."

"Padawan?" asked Louise.

"As I have officially taken you as my apprentice," said Z, "you are now my Padawan learner. You are a youngling no longer."

Louise smiled and went back to contemplating the datapad.

xXsceneXx

Later that day, while Louise was in class, Z took some time to help Siesta and the staff with their chores.

"You really don't have to help me," said Siesta as they cleaned the dining hall.

"Don't worry," said Z, "I don't mind a little hard work. It gives me something to do."

Siesta laughed a bit before she gained a far off look, "May I ask you a question, Z?"

"Go ahead," said Z as he wrung out a rag he used to wipe a chair.

"How did you become so strong?" asked Siesta, "I mean you fought a noble and won so easily and you have that strange power you showed us the other day?"

"How I became strong, huh?" said Z with a nostalgic tone, "That wasn't easy. It took centuries of work and discipline. But it's you people that impress me."

"Why is that?" asked Siesta.

"Because of all that you've done and accomplished," said Z, "you build stable lives for yourselves through hard work and effort. You don't have magic or fancy technology to make life easier for you, though I wouldn't mind remedying that second one, yet you are able to do so much."

"You really think that?" asked Siesta.

"I do," said Z as he continued to wipe down the table, "as long as you have the courage to try, humans can do anything and overcome any obstacle."

"I see," said Siesta, "thank you."

"You are very welcome," said Z.

xXsceneXx

After classes ended, Z trained with Louise more, working her to improve her Lightsaber forms by having her dodge or cut pebbles that he levitated her while she was wearing a blindfold. Louise did try, but she ended up with more than a few bruises from the flying rocks.

"You're getting better," said Z as Louise took off her blindfold.

"Isn't there another way to do all this?" asked Louise.

"Normally a student would use a device that floated around and shot stinging bolts of energy at them, but as I do not have one of those handy, we have to make do," said Z, "you are improving though."

"Will I ever be as good as you?" asked Louise.

"You shouldn't compare yourself with me," said Z as he walked up to the tired pinkette, "I've had centuries of training to get to the level I'm at now. However, most normal Force users at your age and rank wouldn't be as good as you are now."

Louise smiled and bowed like he had showed her, "Thank you master."

"Anytime, Padawan," said Z, "now shall we get to meditation?"

Louise nodded and sat on the ground, entering her meditative state.

xXsceneXx

That night, after dinner, Z headed down to the kitchen to get a bite to eat, as he was still looked at strangely when if he sat at the  _nobles'_ table. Walking through the door he was greeted with an enthusiastic welcome from the staff.

"Well," said Marteau with a huge smile as he threw an arm over Z's shoulders, "if it isn't our beast of victory, the great and mighty Z! What brings you to the kitchens today?"

"Just wondering if I could get something to eat," said Z, "the nobles look at me funny if I sit at the table and I don't want to cause Louise any trouble."

"Alright," said Marteau, "I think we still have some of the leftovers from the nobles' dinner. Let me whip something up."

Z sat down on a chair as the cooks bustled about and gave him a plate with meat and vegetables in a savory sauce with a roll on the side. Z smiled as he began to eat, enjoying all of the delicious flavors. Looking around he noticed something was missing from the cheery bustle of the room.

"Hey," said Z as he put down his spoon, "where is Siesta? Is she still working right now?"

Instantly, the mood in the kitchen became somber, causing Z to look around warily, "What happened?"

"Siesta doesn't work here anymore," said Marteau sadly, "earlier, a noble, Count Mott, came and personally requested her services."

"And that's a bad thing?" asked Z.

"When a noble like the Count personally requests a maid, it's usually for certain…services, if you know what I mean," said Marteau sadly.

"Why didn't she refuse?" asked Z angrily.

"Siesta has a family to support," said Marteau, "that's why she works here. Working for the Count, she can get a higher pay to support her family."

"I see," said Z as he got up, "thank you for the meal. I must be going."

Z walked out of the kitchen and looked at the twin moons, thinking. He wondered whom he could ask for directions to Count Mott's estate. Luckily, his answer came in the form of a familiar buxom redhead.

"Oh? What are you doing out this late?" asked Kirche, "Did your student kick you out?"

"Miss Zerbst," said Z, "do you know the location of the manor of Count Mott?"

"Yes," said Kirche, a bit surprised at the request, "if you leave the academy, just head due north along the road and you'll get there."

"Thank you," said Z.

"Why are you looking for the Count?" asked Kirche.

"I have business with him," said Z before transforming into a creature that resembled a pterodactyl and flying off in the direction Kirche indicated.

"Kirche!" said Louise as she ran up, "Was that Z? Where is he going?"

"I'm not certain," said Kirche, "he was asking about Count Mott's manor."

"Count Mott?" said Louise, "Why would he ask about him?"

"The Count?" said a new voice, "I may know the answer."

The two girls turned and saw Guiche walking up.

"What do you mean Guiche?" asked Louise.

"The Count came by and left with one of the maids," said Guiche, "I believe your familiar was friendly with the staff."

"You don't think," said Louise as she paled.

"That he went to rescue the maid from the count?" said Kirche, "We're going to need Sylphid and Tabitha."

"We'd better hurry before things get out of hand," said Louise, forming a temporary truce with her rival in order to keep things from getting out of hand.

The two girls ran off, leaving behind a confused Guiche.

"What just happened?" the blond fop asked nobody in particular.

xXsceneXx

After a long flight, Z saw the large manor in the distance and touched down, changing back to his humanoid form with Mandalorian Neo-Crusader armor over his body and a hood over his face.

"Who goes there?" said a guard as Z walked up.

" ** _You will take me to Count Mott,_** " said Z as he waved his hand in front of the guard and used the Force to influence the man's mind.

"I will take you to Count Mott," said the guard in a calm voice.

"Thank you," said Z, "I have important business with him.  ** _You will be rewarded for your service._** "

"I will be rewarded for my service," said the guard.

" ** _Let's go,_** " said Z.

"Let's go," said the guard as he led the shapeshifter through the halls.

Z raised an eyebrow as he looked at the lavish decorations and wondered how much money was spent just to decorate the place when it could be used to help the commoners that needed money. Soon the guard opened a large door leading to a large atrium where a pompously dressed man was standing.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the Count.

"I am here to make a request of you," said Z, " ** _Release Siesta into my care and turn yourself into the authorities for your crimes._** "

"Who do you think you are to give me, a messenger for the palace, orders, commoner filth!" growled Mott.

"Interesting," said Z, "you have a strong mind. Nevertheless, I want you to release Siesta from your care."

"And if I don't?" sneered the Count.

In a blur of motion, Z whipped out two lightsabers and ignited them extending a green blade from one and a blue one from the other.

"Then I'll make you," said Z.

"HA!" laughed the count, "By drawing a weapon here, commoner, you have sealed your fate. I am Mott the Flood, a triangle level water mage."

"So you have a fancy title," said Z as he deactivated his sabers and put them away, "won't save you."

"Oh? Have you decided to yield?" asked Mott.

"No," said Z, "I don't think I'll need my blades here."

"Fool," said Mott, "you will die here."

The Count raised his wand and a torrent of water rose out of the vases in the room and shot at Z. Z simply dodged out of the way and rolled to his feet, allowing the water the smash into the wall behind him. The count waved his wand, sending tendrils of water shooting at Z like spears. Using the Force, Z leapt up and out of the way, before stretching out his hand and pulling Mott's own wand into his hand.

"It seems you can't do any magic without this stick," said Z as he snapped the wand like the twig it was, "that's really too bad."

"Guards!" yelled Mott, "Kill this intruder!"

The guards raised their weapons and charged at Z, but he released a blast of Force energy, sending them flying into the walls hard enough to knock them out cold. Z gripped Mott with a Force Grip and lifted the man off of the ground.

"Now," said Z dangerously, "I'll say it one more time. Let. Siesta. Go."

"You swine," growled the Count, "I am a noble!"

"Wrong answer," said Z as he began to make a fist.

Count Mott began to sputter and choke as Z's Force Grip began to close his windpipe, cutting off his breathing.

"I will take her back once your heart stops beating," said Z.

"Z stop!" yelled Louise as she and Kirche burst in, "You don't have to kill him?"

"Oh?" said Z, "And if I refuse to listen to you? Will you go against me as well?"

"We can solve this without needless death," said Louise.

"She's right," said Kirche, "we can end this."

"This worm is scum," said Z, "he will be a message to those like him."

"Siesta wouldn't want this!" said Louise.

"Are you willing to stand against me, Padawan?" said Z.

"I am," said Louise firmly, "I can't let you do this, whatever the reason."

Z sighed and lowered the Count to the ground, releasing the Force Choke. Before anything could be said, Kirche walked up to the Count.

"Sir Mott," said Kirche, "I am Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt-Zerbst, daughter of the Zerbst family, and I would like to offer this in exchange for the maid this man has requested."

Kirche tossed a small book down in front of the Count, causing him to gasp.

"This is the sacred tome of the Zerbst family," said the Count as he picked it up and leafed through the pages, "I have longed for this for years."

"Then we have an agreement?" asked Kirche.

"Yes," said the Count as he sent for his attendants to fetch Siesta.

"Miss Vallière, Miss Zerbst, Z," said Siesta as she walked in, "what are you doing here?"

"You've been released into our care," said Z, "don't worry about your family, I have a plan that will help me get more than enough currency to keep them happy. Let's just get you back to the castle."

xXsceneXx

After the group had flown back on Tabitha's dragon familiar, Louise and Z returned to the former's room. Louise had to get something off of her chest, so she turned to her familiar to talk.

"Z," said Louise, "would you really have killed him?"

"Yes," said Z.

"Why?" asked Louise, "How can you take murder so easily?"

"Louise," said Z solemnly, "I may teach you a version of the Jedi ways, but I don't walk completely in the light. I have done things in the past. I have fought and I have killed. What that man was doing though, is something that even I find disgusting. I couldn't allow him to continue."

"Then why not alert the authorities?" asked Louise.

"He couldn't have gotten to the position he was at without considerable influence," said Z, "he would have probably gotten a minor fine and then gone back to business as usual."

"But…" protested Louise.

"Louise," said Z, "I was born into a time of war, so I know how to fight and kill, but regardless of what I do, I will not become the monsters that would do such things. Now you should get some rest. We can plan for the Familiar Exhibition tomorrow."

"Z," said Louise, "what you did tonight, would you do the same if it was me and not the maid?"

"No," said Z, "if it had been you, the Count would be buried in the ruins of his manor."

"Alright," said Louise, "good night."

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

"So what do you have planed for the exhibition?" Louise asked her Familiar and Master in the ways of the Force.

"Well," said Z with a light smirk, "why tell you and ruin the surprise?"

"I want this to look good," said Louise, "since the princess herself will be watching."

"Princess?" asked Z, "This is the first I've heard of that."

"Oh right, I forgot to tell you," said Louise, "the Princess of Tristain will be gracing us with her presence during the exhibition."

"Really?" said Z, "I guess that's not really that surprising all things considered."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Louise with a raised eyebrow.

"From what I've seen of this world and all the focus on nobility and status, it's not at all surprising that you have a monarchy here," said Z.

"So what do you have planed?" asked Louise, "I want to be sure that it will impress her."

"Well," said Z, "now that I know I'll be having such an important audience, perhaps I can adjust my plans so we can rehearse a spectacular performance."

Louise beamed, "Thank you!"

Z smiled kindly at his Padawan student, "Let's show your classmates how far you've come from the girl they used to ridicule."

xXsceneXx

That night, Z carried Louise back to her room after a tiring session where they worked on their performance and continued Louise's lightsaber combat training. While they were training, from what Z could gather, the princess had arrived at the academy with her entourage. Louise had wanted to go and see her with the other students, but Z had shot her down, saying that she would need to focus on her training first. Louise had protested, and Z had set the condition that if she could fight him when he was using 20% of his full power, then she could have the day off and Louise had agreed.

Suffice it to say she did not win.

In fact, the fight was the reason Z had to carry her back to her room afterwards. Her body was so sore and tired from Z pushing her past her limits that she couldn't even stand on her own.

"You can be really brutal, you know that?" groaned Louise as they crossed the threshold to her room.

"I wanted to prove a point," said Z as he used the Force to gently place Louise on her bed, "are you going to bathe before you turn in?"

"In a bit," sighed Louise, "once I can move my feet again."

"If you insist," said Z before going to prepare a cup of tea to get some fluids back into Louise.

As he set the pot to boil, Z felt a presence at the door of the room through his connection with the Force. Allowing a KYD-21 blaster pistol to slide into his hand, the Shi'ido spun around, flinging the door open with the Force and leveling the pistol at a hooded figure that had been standing behind the door.

"Ah!" exclaimed the intruder in a surprised and female voice, "Wh-what?"

"What are your intentions here this late?" asked Z, "Are you an assassin?"

"W-wait, what?" exclaimed the figure as she staggered back, causing her hood to fall off her head, revealing a cute face with plum colored hair and a tiara.

"Princess Henrietta?!" exclaimed Louise as she winced painfully as she sat up on her bed, "To what do we owe the honor?"

"Louise Françoise," said Henrietta as she rushed to embrace the pinkette, "it has been too long."

Unfortunately, Louise was still sore from training, so when the princess hugged her, she stiffened and grimaced in pain. Henrietta noticed this and she quickly released her with a look of concern.

"Are you all right?" asked Henrietta.

"It is fine, your highness," said Louise, "I just overdid it a bit exercising."

"Why were you exercising?" asked Henrietta.

"It's kind of complicated," said Louise sheepishly.

"I take it you two know each other," said Z, "sorry for pointing a blaster at you then. Never can be too careful."

"R-right," said Henrietta nervously, "may I ask who you are?"

Z smiled and bowed cordially to the princess, "My name is Z. I am the familiar that Louise summoned to her side."

"A human familiar?" said Henrietta in surprise, "I have never heard of such a thing."

"Apparently it is rather rare," said Z.

"Indeed," nodded Henrietta.

"So," said Z as he tried to change the subject, "how do the two of you know each other?"

"Ah," said Louise before wincing at a random pain, "when I was little, I was granted the honor of being the princess's royal playmate."

"Mou," pouted Henrietta cutely, "can't you just say that we were childhood friends?"

Z chuckled as he went to take the kettle and pour some tea into some cups for Louise and the Princess. Giving the tea to the two girls, he stood to the side as they caught up.

"So your highness," said Louise, "why have you come here so late at night?"

Henrietta smiled at her old friend, "I wanted to visit with you without all of my servants and handlers looking over my shoulder. It has been so long since we chatted. Do you remember all those times we played in the royal gardens."

"Yes, and the chamberlain always told us off for getting so dirty," laughed Louise nostalgically.

"That was because we got into a fight over those cream cakes," said Henrietta, "you would always best me in those fights. You just grabbed my hair and I started crying."

"Not always," protested Louise, "you achieved victory on at least one occasion."

"You remembered!" said Henrietta happily, "Yes, looking back, I believe one could call that the Siege of Amiens."

"That was the time we fought over the dress in the Princess' bedroom," laughed Louise.

Henrietta nodded, "We were playing Make-Believe Royal Court and we both wanted to play the part of the princess. It was my blow to your stomach that ended it."

"Indeed, I fainted in the presence of the princess," said Louise as she lifted her cup to her mouth with a slightly shaky hand.

"Are you sure you are all right, Louise Françoise?" asked Henrietta in concern.

"Do not worry about me, your highness," said Louise, "it's nothing that you need to be concerned about."

"Are you sure?" asked Henrietta, "You seem to be in pain."

"It's nothing I can't sleep off," Louise reassured her old friend, "I should be fine by the time of the exhibition."

"Do not worry," said Z, "I will be sure to take care of Louise."

"Then I leave her in your hands," said Henrietta as she offered her hand, eliciting a small gasp from Louise, "it is good to know Louise Françoise has such kind friends."

"Your words honor me, your highness," said Z as he took her hand and gave it a light kiss on the knuckles.

"I look forward to seeing the two of you perform," said Henrietta as she pulled her hood up and left.

"Now," said Z as he took Louise's cup, "get some rest Louise. You can take a warm bath later when I won't have to worry about you collapsing and drowning in the tub."

"I think I'd like that," said Louise as she flopped onto her bed and fell asleep.

"Sleep well, young one," said Z as he used the Force to tuck the pinkette in for the night.

xXsceneXx

Soon it was time for the Familiar Exhibition and the whole school was eagerly waiting to see what the second year students had planed for their performances with their familiars. Another thing that had the students excited was Princess Henrietta sitting in a special seat with her entourage from the palace. As the students came out to perform the audience was awed by the skilled performances. Kirche had Flame create amazing shapes and colors with his fire breath and Tabitha rode around the sky on Sylphid performing aerial stunts. Not all the acts were quite as spectacular though, in fact, Guiche's act was simply posing with his giant mole, but he was at least somewhat well received.

Soon it was time for Louise's performance, but she was strangely nowhere to be seen. The audience began to mutter about how they probably shouldn't have expected Louise the Zero to put on a good show, but suddenly they heard the flapping of wings in the distance. Looking up, they saw a large avian shape flying closer to the stage. When it got close enough, the students could recognize Louise's riding the creature from her pink hair blowing in the wind. When the creature was close enough, it's form shifted and changed into a monstrous creature as tall as a dragon with leathery skin, beady eyes, and three clawed fingers on each meaty hand. To some, it looked like a cross between a bear and a potato, and to others it was like some sort of ogre, but when it roared, all agreed that it was frightening. The beast roamed around with Louise riding on its back before transforming into a large green creature that looked like a cross between a crustacean, a spider, and a lizard. The new creature leapt over the stage with great agility before jumping up and transforming back to Z as it landed on the stage with the Shi'ido taking a bow upon landing and Louise flipping off of his back. The audience went wild at the performance and Louise and Z walked off the stage to wait for the judges to make their decision.

"You did well," said Z as he walked off with his Padawan.

"It wasn't really that easy to ride those monsters," said Louise, "but your last minute training helped."

Z smiled, his Padawan was truly growing stronger by the day. Soon perhaps, he would administer the final test to see if his student was ready to move on to the next stage of her training. But for now, they would await the results of their performance.

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

As Z and Louise waited for the judges to finish evaluating the performances for the Familiar Exhibition, Z thought about how his student's progress was steadily growing. She had only been practicing the arts for about a month, but was already nearing the point where most Padawans would take the tests to see if they could become Knights. However, Z was a stern teacher (though he'd never actually had a student before) and he wasn't about to let Louise know about the test and have that knowledge influence the outcome. Thus he would subtly guide his student into situations that would test her in those ways and evaluate the outcome. One such test had already been passed with flying colors. But for now, they should focus on the outcome of the contest.

"How do you think we did?" Z asked Louise.

"I'm not sure," said Louise, "we did well, but Tabitha's performance was hard to beat."

"She had a dragon," protested Z, "you had me!"

"Her routine was pretty impressive," said Louise, "it might be a toss up."

Z just chuckled at that, but suddenly stopped and looked around.

"What is it?" asked Louise.

"I feel a disturbance in the Force," said Z.

"Wait," said Louise as she closed her eyes, "I think I feel it too. It's like a light vibration coursing through the earth."

"No," said Z wryly as he glanced behind them, "that would be due to the giant stone creature behind us."

Louise jumped and spun around to see that, yes, there was a giant stone golem marching toward the castle. As it neared, it raised a massive fist and began to pound at the walls, but the enchanted stone and mortar held firm.

"What is that thing doing?" exclaimed Z.

"It's attacking the walls of the great vault," said Louise, "we need to stop it!"

"How's your aim?" asked Z as he jumped to his feet and faced the giant.

"Let's find out," said Louise as she drew her wand and pointed it at the golem.

"I can see someone riding on it," said Z, "aim for the rider!"

"Got it," said Louise as she tried to focus on the small figure, " _Fireball!_ "

Unfortunately, Louise's accuracy wasn't quite adequate enough to hit such a small target from that great a distance, so her spell didn't hit her target. Fortunately though, there was a much larger target to hit instead. The intended fire spell wasn't the ball of flames that she intended, but it did clip the shoulder of the giant golem, erupting in a large explosion that tore a chunk of stone out of the golem's arm, while also blowing a hole in the reinforced stone that the golem had been unable to breach. The figure on the golem leapt through the hole and emerged with a locked box, before commanding the golem to attack Z and Louise.

Louise was shocked and couldn't move as the golem swung its massive stone fist toward her. She had never faced death before and as it moved closer, she felt her mind freeze as it approached. Suddenly though, the fist was stopped cold and the giant seemed to be struggling to get it to move again.

"Wh-what?" exclaimed Louise in shock.

Turning she saw Z standing by her side with an arm extended and signs of strain evident on his face.

"How?" she asked.

"One important lesson in using the Force, is that size matters not," said Z as he held back the giant golem, "with a strong enough mind, one can literally move mountains. Stopping a boulder is nothing."

Z grimaced as the golem tried to punch with its other fist and he had to raise another hand to stop the fist with another Force Grip, pushing his willpower into holding the behemoth back.

"That being said," he ground out, "I'm not really on that level yet so holding back this thing isn't that easy. Louise, a large explosion to the thing's torso would be helpful."

Louise nodded and quickly chanted a spell, but due to her haste and panic, she missed her target, blowing a chip off the golem's shoulder.

"Calm yourself!" grunted Z as he continued to hold back the golem, "Breathe and relax. Focus on your target."

Louise closed her eyes and took a deep breath before aiming her wand a second time and chanting the spell, " _Fireball!_ "

This time Louise's attack was spot on target and an explosion ripped through the golem's torso, allowing Z to finish the job using the force grip he had on the arms, reducing the stone behemoth to rubble as he ripped it apart.

"Kriff, that was hard," sighed Z, "did you see what the rider was after?"

"No I didn't," said Louise, "but he came from the location of the Vaults. We have to tell Headmaster Osmond."

"No need, Miss Vallière," said Colbert as he and the staff ran up, "we saw what happened and will need you to come with us."

"Is something wrong?" asked Louise, "Is this about the golem?"

Colbert nodded, "The headmaster wishes to speak to you and your Familiar about that."

Louise glanced at Z and got a nod in response, so the pair followed the staff to Osmond's office, both wondering what exactly was going on.

xXsceneXx

"Miss Vallière," said Osmond as the Master/Familiar and his Padawan/Master walked into the room, "Mister Z. There are some things that I would like to discus with you two."

"And what would that be, sir?" asked Louise.

"During the attack," said Osmond, "your Familiar displayed a strange power when he held back the golem, and your spell was powerful enough to smash through stone protected by square class enchantments."

"Why was such enchantments necessary?" asked Z, "What was it you were keeping hidden?"

Osmond closed his eyes in remembrance as he steepled his fingers on his desk before regarding Z with a strange look, "Many years ago, when I was still a young man, I was venturing out in the wilds when I was attacked by a fearsome dragon. My staff was knocked from my hand and I thought I was finished when the beast was blasted back by an invisible force. Turning around, I saw a cloaked figure running up with a crossbow that fired bolts of light that pierced the dragon. The figure ran up and checked on me, but was unable to dodge the beast's tail, which struck him fatally. As he died he gave me a strange cube, telling me to pass it on to the one who could open it. I had our best minds study both items, but they could only make progress on the crossbow, crafting our weapons in its image."

"Wait," said Louise, "then that bow was the mythical Bow of Light? And it was hidden here?"

"Bow of Light?" asked Z.

"It's a magical artifact that all of the crossbows and guns that the soldiers use were designed after," said Louise.

"And it seems the thief has stolen both that and the cube," said Osmond.

"Do you know who the thief is?" asked Z.

"Indeed," said Colbert as he stepped forward, "the work was done by the notorious thief known as Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt. This theft matches his style, right down to his calling card."

"So how do we find the thief," asked Z.

Osmond was about to answer but was interrupted buy a woman with dark green hair wearing the staff cloak as she ran into the room.

"Headmaster," she said, "I apologize for my tardiness, but I was able to track Fouquet back to his current hideout and gain a rough sketch of his likeness."

"Excellent," said Osmond, "do show us, Ms. Longville."

The teacher nodded and pulled out a parchment that had the likeness of the hooded figure Z and Louise had faced drawn upon it.

"That's him," said Louise, "that's Fouquet."

As Louise and the staff talked about the thief and his location, Z glanced at Longville with a curious gaze. Where exactly had she been, and how did she get such a detailed and accurate picture of the thief without being discovered? There was something not right about this woman, but the Shi'ido knew he would need more evidence before he made any accusations. As Z noted that Louise volunteered the two of them to hunt down the thief, he noticed that Longville volunteered to take them to Fouquet, as if she knew he would still be where she traced him to. Following Louise as they left to get ready to depart, Z noted to keep a close eye on their guide.

 

 


End file.
